Spaghetti with Tuna, Olives and Lemon

Adapted from a recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Foods.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
3/4 pound spaghetti or other pasta
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
4 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
5 tbsp slivered Kalamata olives
2 cans (6 oz) chunk light tuna in water, drained

Directions:
1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook pasta as directed
3. In a food processor, pulse bread and 1 teaspoon oil until coarse crumbs form. Add salt and pepper to the mixture and pulse some more.
4. Place bread mixture on a baking sheet and bake until golden, tossing occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. As pasta is done, reserve 1/2 cup hot pasta water. Then drain pasta and add to a large serving/mixing bowl.
6. To the cooked pasta, add lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, olives, and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix. Add water and tuna and mix. Add the breadcrumbs on top and you are ready to serve

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Adapted from a recipe at Busch's, an Ann-Arbor based grocery store that has great recipes to use. We served over brown rice and it was fantastic. This serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
6 tbsp Soy Sauce
4 tbsp Dry Sherry or Cooking Sherry
2 tbsp Corn Starch
3 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into thin strips (1/4")
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper (or more to taste)
3 tbsp Peanut Oil (add more if needed or if using more vegetables)
1 tbsp Minced Fresh Ginger
2 tsp or two cloves Minced Garlic
3 cups Broccoli Florets
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips
1 can (8 oz.) Water Chestnuts, Sliced
12 Ounces Fresh Mushrooms, stems removed and large ones cut in half.
3 Scallions, cut into 1" pieces

Directions
1. Whisk together stock, soy sauce, sherry and cornstarch until cornstarch dissolves. Set aside
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir about 30 seconds. Add chicken to skillet and stir-fry until white, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add broccoli florets, bell pepper and water chestnuts and stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and scallions and stir-fry an additional minute.
4. Add chicken stock mixture and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Serve over noodles or rice. Enjoy!

Holiday Orange Cookies

Adapted these from a few different recipes this year. Really liked the way they turned out for the holidays. Might be great with drizzled chocolate also.
Ingredients:
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder + a small pinch extra
5 tbsp Butter - room temperature
1 cup White Sugar
3 Egg Yolks
2 tbsp Orange Juice
Rind from 1/2 a Large Orange (a heaping tablespoon)
Powdered Sugar to coat the cookies

Directions:
1. In one bowl, add flour, salt and baking powder.
2. In another bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add yolks, orange juice and rind to the butter mix and then blend.
4. Add the dry ingredients and then make sure that it is well mixed.
5. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
6. After the cookie dough is removed from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. The dough will be sticky, but roll into balls around 3/4" in diameter and then drench in powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper at least 2 inches apart.
8. Cook for 8-10 minutes and then let sit on the cookie sheet for around 2 more minutes before moving to a wire rack or paper towel.

Holiday Red Cabbage and Chestnuts

Holiday Red Cabbage and Chestnuts

This is an adaptation of a family recipe that I got from my mom. I loved making this for the holidays - but it is not a dish that everyone loved. Please note that this recipe makes a ton - freeze part of it since you will never eat it all.

Ingredients:
2 Onions (medium sized) - sliced thinly in a mandolin
2 Shallots - sliced thinly in a mandolin
3-4 tbps Olive Oil
1 head of Red Cabbage - sliced at the thicker level (~1/4" thick) after removing outer layers (Sometimes cabbages can be too much - so use as much as you want above 1/2 a head).
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 Whole Apple - Peeled and Chopped
1-2 cups Roasted Peeled Chestnuts (around 11 ounces)


Directions:
1. Heat Olive Oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add Onions and Shallots and saute until brown 6-8 minutes.
2. Add sliced Cabbage to pot and mix.
3. Add Salt & Peper to mix and then add water to cover around 3/4 of the ingredients.
4. Lower heat and simmer for one hour.
5. Add Chopped Apples and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
6. Add Chestnuts and simmer for an additional 45 minutes.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Wonderful pasta salad that is actually great all year long, and very easy to make.

Ingredients
1 14oz box of Pasta shells or other shape
2 5oz cans of chunk tuna in water
4 stalks of celery, trimmed, cleaned and cut into thin slices (1/8" - 1/4")
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
1/4 tsp Celery Seeds
1/2-3/4 Cup of Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

Directions:
1. Cook pasta per the directions on the box and let cool with cold running water. Add the pasta to a mixing bowl.
2. Add the tuna, celery, lemon juice, black pepper, celery salt and celery seeds and mix.
3. Add the Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (adjust amount to taste) and mix thoroughly. Enjoy!

Doctored Brownie I: Hazelnut & Peanut Brownies

I was demonstrating the Melcat inter-library loan feature to people at the Ross School of Business and I ended up requesting this book - Brownies! : favorite recipes for brownies, blondies & bar cookies.

They have a number of recipes that use brownie mix as the base - so I am calling these Doctored Brownies! I will make a few and record them out here. This one is called Easy Hazelnut Brownies (page 125). I did not have hazelnuts - so I played a bit. I used Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge - Family Size (19.5 oz).

Ingredients
1 Family Size Brownie Mix (makes 13" x 9" brownie)
3/4 cup toasted peanuts
1/2 cup Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cooking spray on the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan.
2. Prepare the brownies as directed.
3. In a saute pan, toast peanuts over low heat (around ten minutes) - stirring often. Let cool and then crush into smaller pieces (you can use the bottom of a heavy glass).
4. Mix in Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread until well blended.
5. Add to pan and bake for around 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick or knife comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Garlic and Herb Lemon Chicken

Adapted this recipe from a McCormick advertisement for their Garlic & Herb Perfect Pinch - which is an ingredient. It is fantastic! I think that you might use any Garlic and Herb Seasoning mix in its place.

Ingredients
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into slices around 1/3"
3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb Seasoning (or other seasoning mix)
4 tbsp Canola Oil (or another vegetable oil)
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp+1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried parsley

Directions
1. Mix the flour and the seasoning mix in a bowl. Dip cut chicken in water and coat both sides with mixture.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add chicken slices (filling the pan in a single layer) and cook for 3 minutes per side.
3. After cooking on both sides, remove and place on a plate under foil.
4. Heat the other 2 tbsp of oil and cook the remaining chicken the same way.
5. When the chicken is done cooking (and keeping warm), add the broth, lemon juice and around 2 tbsp of reserved flour mixture. Use a wisk to bring up the browned bits in the skillet and steadily mix for around 5 minutes. After around 4 minutes, add the dried parsley.
6. Pour over chicken and serve.